The Register's Bill Oram and Dan Woike sat down earlier this week to try and figure out how the first round of Thursday's NBA Draft would go down. Oram handled the picks for the odd-number selections, and Woike drafted for the even-numbered picks.

1. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

SF Andrew Wiggins, Kansas: After their bewildering choice of Anthony Bennett with last year’s first pick, the Cavs will make the safe choice in Wiggins. Joel Embiid’s foot surgery knocked him out of this spot, but Cleveland shouldn’t feel too bad. Wiggins and All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving should put the Cavs back on track in the East.

2. MILWAUKEE BUCKS

SF Jabari Parker, Duke: Wiggins? The safe pick? The Bucks would be thrilled to land Parker, the rare professional who actually wants to play in Milwaukee (underrated city) and maybe the safest bet in the draft. Parker can be the guy the Bucks build their offense around for the next eight years, and with Jon Henson and Larry Sanders protecting the rim, who cares if he can’t guard anyone?

3. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

PG/SG Dante Exum, Australia: There will be a temptation to nab Embiid here, but after enduring injuries in recent years to both Nerlens Noel and Andrew Bynum – remember him? – Philly will be thrilled to add Exum and avoid another injury prone big man. Exum, the dynamic Australian combo guard, will bolster a developing backcourt that already boasts Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams. The 76ers still have a long way to go, and Exum may not be the reward fans wanted for a 19-63 season, but it’s a good start.

4. ORLANDO MAGIC

PF Noah Vonleh, Indiana: Joel Embiid is a tempting choice, as is Marcus Smart, whom the Magic were said to love last year before Smart went back to school. But Vonleh can stretch the floor with range and has freakish arms and hands. If Exum slips, he’s the pick.

5. UTAH JAZZ

PG/SG Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State: This would make for a potentially dramatic scenario. Smart refused to work out for the Jazz in the buildup to the draft, and they already have young guards in Trey Burke and Alec Burks. But Utah is likely to pass on Joel Embiid here if he continues to drop. Salt Lake City is not a free agent destination and the Jazz can’t risk wasting their pick on an injury-prone big man. Scenarios like this are why the Jazz want to move up in the draft, where they would most likely try to steal the multifaceted Jabari Parker, whose Mormon affiliation would be icing on the cake.

6. BOSTON CELTICS

C Joel Embiid, Kansas: Boston, which is in a weird spot organizationally, can’t pass on Embiid – who might end up as the best player in the draft. If Boston makes this pick, expect them to trade Rajon Rondo and move forward with their rebuild.

7. LAKERS

PF Julius Randle, Kentucky: The best choices here are power forwards Randle and Aaron Gordon. Gordon has far more upside, and could get a look from the Lakers. But Randle has resolved one of his biggest knocks, in that he is now able to consistently make 18- to 20-foot jump shots. He’s good off the dribble and has a nice post-up game. The Lakers don’t need a high-risk, high-reward player. They need consistency. Randle will help form the bedrock of a rebuild, even if he never becomes an All-Star.

8. SACRAMENTO KINGS

PF Aaron Gordon, Arizona: The Kings would much rather see Marcus Smart on the board here. Elfrid Payton is also an option, but Gordon is too versatile, too talented to drop past eight. With Gordon and Derek Williams already in Sac-town, the Kings have the market cornered on Arizona tweeners!

9. CHARLOTTE HORNETS

SF Doug McDermott, Creighton: Good all-around player here, but McDermott’s best attribute is he can shoot the ball. In his junior year at Creighton, McDermott led the nation in scoring with 26.7 points per game while shooting 44.9 percent from 3. That will come in handy for the Bobcats when Al Jefferson is trying to find someone out of a double-team.

10. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

SF/PF Dario Saric, Croatia: Philly’s going nowhere fast, and it can afford to wait on Saric – the most talented European prospect in the draft. He’s a slick passer who has been competing at the top level overseas for years already.

11. DENVER NUGGETS

SG Zach LaVine, UCLA: UCLA fans are probably scratching their heads over LaVine’s ascent from Bruins bench-warmer to lottery pick, but his 46-inch vertical has scouts drooling. Denver has all of the players to get back to the postseason once Danilo Gallinari returns to health, giving them the luxury of taking a chance on LaVine, whose length, athleticism and competitive instincts are unquestioned.

12. ORLANDO MAGIC

PG Elfrid Payton, UL-Lafayette: This isn’t a big-time shooting, small-school point guard in the mode of Damian Lillard. Payton is a defensive wiz, and a backcourt with him and Victor Oladipo would instantly be one of the best defensive guard combos in the NBA. The Magic could try to add shooting here, too, but Payton would be a nice fit.

13. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

SG Gary Harris, Michigan State: Who knows what the Timberwolves need, since no one knows what they will have after the dust settles on the Kevin Love affair. Harris will come with few surprises. He’s an NBA-ready defender with good fundamentals. He knows how to play in a system – Tom Izzo’s Michigan State program ensures that – and will help the T-Wolves whether they’re looking for the final pieces to getting back to the playoffs or starting over from scratch.

14. PHOENIX SUNS

SG Nik Stauskas, Michigan: The Suns have so many picks and so many chances to augment one of the most exciting rosters in NBA, so Stauskas, who could play with either Goran Dragic or Eric Bledsoe, works here. The Suns have so many options, they could look to stash a player overseas.

15. ATLANTA HAWKS

SF Rodney Hood, Duke: Not a great athlete, but helps interior-minded Hawks on the wing.

16. CHICAGO BULLS

SG James Young, Kentucky: Great length on the wing and a sweet-looking jumper. Good at a lot of things, not yet great at one.

SF Kyle Anderson, UCLA: Undersized former Bruin lucky to stay in first round.

26. MIAMI HEAT

SF Cleanthony Early, Wichita State: He’s polished and ready to help now off the bench. No LeBron, though.

27. PHOENIX SUNS

SF Jerami Grant, Syracuse: Good size for a wing, and can run – which will play well in Phoenix.

28. CLIPPERS

SG C.J. Wilcox, Washington: Doc Rivers loves shooting, and you can never have too much of it. Clippers will be tempted to look for point guard help (Nappier?) or frontcourt depth, but this late in the first-round, you just want to find a guy with a skill, and Wilcox can hit from range.

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